disney highlights...part1

crazy i know...but even a new baby couldn't keep us away from disney this year! like i said, I thought hazel would have come much earlier than she did, but she didn't...she was born on monday...we came home christmas eve. i spent christmas day packing, and we were off to "the happiest place on earth" on friday! she enjoyed the trip very much! she spent most of her time there in the sling, but took a couple of naps in the stroller. she was by far the easiest child to handle on the trip, and i'm sure won't be the case if we go again next year!
We started the first day off with a princess lunch! Renee was so excited when she spotted a princess across the room! Snow White was the only princess that did not make an appearance at the lunch, so we headed straight to germany to find her!
Renée also got really into the "kidcot stops" at epcot. Basically, it's just a table at each country with some sharpies and a couple of cast members that give you a stamp and a charm for your mask. She's way into art and projects at the moment and LOVED it! Since it was Christmas time the mask was wearing a Santa hat which she also loved.
Orum and his dad and brother really love this band we found at epcot a couple of years ago...off kilter (i think) it's a rock-irish band or something. Renée likes them too...although she said she was sad because they weren't playing the bagpipes that night, but she did have fun dancing with orum! Orum has one of their cds--when they ride in his truck together she always asks to listen to the bagpipes!

Elijah had waited all day to ride the buzz lightyear ride. He had fallen asleep,but was woken up by one of the marching bands right before it was time to ride with our fast passes. He liked the ride, but loved the store that you have to walk through to get out even more! he even scored an "original" buzz lightyear! we bought him one last year, but the only one we found was one that turned into a spaceship or something, and it just never satisfied the need. He held that box VERY tightly the rest of the night!
new day...new princess dress! she rotated daily between snow white and Cinderella. she also brought her belle and aurora dresses, but decided that they were too itchy to wear all day. while at a playground in toon town she met a new friend! which is actually a big deal, since she's not one to go out of her way to meet/talk to new people! i think her name was Campbell and she was from Alabama. I'm sure the fact that she was wearing a princess dress helped!
happy little boy waiting to ride the carousel with his daddy (one of the only rides orum can ride without getting sick :)

meeting belle in the princess room...

hey Melanie...did you get to do this!? it was definitely a line worth waiting in! the year before last we got to see Minnie and mickey together in front of the carousel, but we didn't find them last year. I was so happy they were back! it's definitely what i always picture when i think about Disney World. i think it may be because my grandparents sent me a postcard when i was little that had them pictured together in front of the castle. Hazel and I even made this picture!

he really does love mickey...he just wanted to see donald!
waiting so paitently to see donald! the line was only like 5 minutes, but renee fell asleep during the 5 minutes between mickey and donald--not that you could blame her...it was almost 2am! (magic kingdom stayed open until 3am that day)

SO happy to see donald! i'm not sure why, but he was all about donald and pluto this trip! he'd never even mentioned them before...just mickey!
breakfast with mickey and his friends. there was some napkin dance going on...i'm not sure what it was about, but elijah did not miss out on it! buzz (on table) joined us for breakfast that day too! elijah didn't put him down for most of the trip, well until he got a gun and hook at the pirate ride later in the week!


Renée noticed a few sprinkles on the floor and started playing with them. our waitress (who was the sweetest one we'd ever had!) brought Renée a cupful a few minutes later. she spent the rest of the time throwing them up and picking them up...
Elijah decided to drink orange juice like pluto...anything to keep them entertained! we had already finished eating, but were waiting for the rest of the characters to come to our table.

pluto was really fun! he stayed for a while and even crawled around on the floor with the kids!
Renée was already down there playing with her sprinkles...
elijah is now all about noses, since that's how minnie and mickey kissed!
more pictures to come!